It’s no secret Apple’s mapping solution hasn’t been up to snuff for most users, and it’s become a running joke that iOS Maps[2] can get you lost when you use it for directions. However, in Australia iOS Maps is more than a joke; according to the police in Victoria, Apple Maps can get you in life-threatening situations!

In fact, police in Victoria, Australia have issued a warning to citizens regarding the usage of Apple Maps. While the police don’t come out right and say it, they implicitly imply citizens should not use Apple Maps for navigation purposes due to poor mapping and directions.

This warning comes in the wake of several travelers getting stranded in the middle of Murray-Sunset National Park when looking for directions for the city of Mildura. This isn’t just the usual slight miscalculation either — the park and the city are approximately 70 kilometers apart.

Police are extremely concerned as there is no water supply within the Park and temperatures can reach as high as 46 degrees, making this a potentially life threatening issue.

Some of the motorists located by police have been stranded for up to 24 hours without food or water and have walked long distances through dangerous terrain to get phone reception.

Another tidbit from the report is the fact that the Victoria police had to rescue six people in the last six months due to them getting lost by using Apple’s maps.

When people using your maps aren’t just getting lost, but are getting themselves in actual dangerous situations because of it, you know it’s serious. (I wonder if Apple can be held liable if someone dies due to poor Apple Maps directions.) Hopefully Apple[3] fixes this whole mess soon, and maybe they approve Google’s upcoming standalone Google Maps while they’re at it. Pretty please.